A community event on race in the lives of local people, hosted by New London’s Parent Leadership graduates of 2015 UConn’s People Empowering People program, will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Parade Plaza in New London.

“In My Skin” will showcase personal stories, poetry and spoken-word performances from local people about race and their real experiences.

The UConn PEP parent leadership training offered through New London Youth Affairs is a 10-week program that gives parents the opportunity to build on their experiences and skills as they come together each week to participate in curriculum provided by the UConn Extension. Participants identify community projects they would like to collectively focus on. In this particular graduating class, several members in the group decided to focus on the stories of community members whose lives have been affected by race.